Preview: Francisco Cerundolo vs. Tommy Paul - Queen's Club Championship prediction, form, head-to-head

Competing in his second Queen’s Club Championship final in three years, Tommy Paul will square off with Francisco Cerundolo for the title on Sunday.

In the first semi-final on Saturday, the Argentine came from behind to defeat Brandon Nakashima 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4, while Paul got past Ugo Humbert 6-3 6-3.

Match preview

It has often gone down to the wire, but to his credit, Francisco Cerundolo has found a way to win each time at the Queen’s Club Championship this year.

Three of his four matches in the men’s event have gone to a decisive third set, with the seventh-ranked player losing the opening set for the first time on Saturday.

In the semis, he converted six break point opportunities and won 71% of his first serves, which made up for his eight double faults.

He has hit 23 aces over his four matches played at the event in 2026 while capturing a total of 20 break points over that stretch.

Cerundolo has won two of his last three appearances in the final of an ATP singles event, defeating Luciano Darderi to capture the Buenos Aires Open in February.

A victory on Sunday would mark the first time he has won a singles event on grass since defeating Paul in three sets at the 2023 Eastbourne Open.

Tommy Paul is back in the final of the Queen’s Club Championship, after putting together a fine all-around performance on Saturday.

The eighth-seeded American did not register a single double fault in that outing, while winning 75% of his first serves to take control.

Over the course of the tournament so far, he has only hit seven double faults in his four matches played and converted 11 of his break-point opportunities.

This match will mark his fourth appearance in the final of a singles event this year, with the 29-year-old only coming out on top in one of those instances, at the Houston Open against Roman Andres Burruchaga in three sets.

In his four matches at the Queen’s Club Championship this year, he has won 75% or more of his first serves, boasting that exact percentage in the semi-finals.

The last time he made the final of this event was in 2024, when he had just one double fault while converting three of his four break-point opportunities to defeat Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets.

Tournament so far

Francisco Cerundolo:

Round of 32: vs. Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-2

Round of 16: vs. Jenson Brooksby 6-0 6-4

Quarter-final: vs. Arthur Fery 7-6 (7-1) 3-6 6-4

Semi-final: vs. Brandon Nakashima 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4

Tommy Paul:

Round of 32: vs. Zachary Svajda 7-5 6-3

Round of 16: vs. Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6 (7-5) 6-3

Quarter-final: vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 7-6 (7-4)

Semi-final: vs. Ugo Humbert 6-3 6-3

Head To Head

Eastbourne Open (2022) - Round of 32: Paul wins 4-6 7-6 6-4

Queen's Club Championship (2023) - Round of 32: Cerundolo wins 7-6 4-6 6-4

Eastbourne Open (2023) - Final: Cerundolo wins 6-4 1-6 6-4

ATP Masters Canada (2023) - Round of 32: Paul wins 7-6 6-7 6-3

ATP Masters Madrid (2024) - Round of 32: Cerundolo wins 6-7 6-4 6-2

French Open (2024) - Round of 32: Cerundolo wins 3-6 6-3 6-2

ATP Masters Miami (2025) - Round of 32: Cerundolo wins 6-2 7-6

The first meeting between these two in England took place in 2022 when Paul hit seven aces and came from behind to win.

When they squared off at the Queen’s Club Championship the following year, Cerundolo overcame 10 double faults to pull out a narrow victory.

We witnessed another thrilling three-set match between them that same year at the Eastbourne Open, with Paul hitting four double faults, twice as many as Cerundolo, as the latter won again.

Paul evened the series with Cerundolo in Canada later that year, coming on strong in the third set after the first two went to a tiebreak.

In 2024, it was Cerundolo who came back from a set down to win, as he captured 74% of his first serves and converted five break points.

He did it again at Roland Garros that year, boasting a decisive edge of 74% to 55% over Paul on first serves to win in four sets.

Their last meeting in Miami last year saw Cerundolo capture five break points and win 77% of his second serves, decisively more than Paul’s 41%.

We say: Paul to win in three sets

This is a match that could go either way, but Paul's experience in the final of this tournament should allow him to ease into this affair much quicker.